The ship and her crew were first put to use in the Vietnam War as a helicopter flight deck.

Mayor Ness was made an honorary crewman of the ship at Friday's dedication.

"We were all a very close knit group. Our lives depended upon each other back in the days. We all separated to different parts of the country, so to get back together and be together in a group and talk about old times, it's just an amazing experience and we wouldn't have it anywhere else other than here in our home in Duluth," said Don Rowe, USS Duluth (LPD-6).

In its 39 years of active service the ship and its crew won thirty-nine awards for service.

Currently, USS Duluth is docked at Pearl Harbor as a mothball fleet.

The future of the ship is uncertain, though it may be used in weapons tests.